Michael Jackson sued by Thriller video director
Singer accused of "fraudulent, malicious and oppressive conduct"
Michael Jackson is being sued by John Landis, the man who directed his Thriller video, with the filmmaker claiming that he hasn't been paid his share of the royalties from the legendary promo for the past four years.
Landis' suit claims that he and Jackson agreed in 1983 that he would get 50% of the net profits from the video and its accompanying documentary. However, he says that the singer has been in breach of this agreement since at least 2005.
The complaint was apparently filed last week, and accuses Jackson and his associates of "fraudulent, malicious and oppressive conduct".
Details of the lawsuit come just days after it emerged that Jackson is planning a stage version of Thriller. It's not yet clear whether this is more than a coincidence.
Jackson and his team have yet to respond.
(Via Idolator)
Get the MusicRadar Newsletter
Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here.
I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.
“They're French. I would say it's a kind of techno prog band”: Elvis Costello reckons that the Brooklyn warehouse gig he saw Justice play was “one of the great shows I've ever been to”
“When I quit my job as a scientist to be a songwriter, I was waiting tables and bartending and needing to write songs for a living”: The art of songwriting with rising country star Stephen Wilson Jr